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Punjena Paprika is a Serbian dish that captures the essence of home cooking. Bell peppers are hollowed, filled with a savoury mix of meat and rice, and simmered gently in a tomato-based sauce until they soften and soak up flavour.
It is a meal that feels hearty yet balanced, with peppers bringing freshness and rice adding comfort. Families often prepare it in large pots, filling kitchens with an aroma that signals warmth and togetherness.
What makes it memorable is the way each element works in harmony. The peppers mellow as they cook, the filling binds together, and the sauce unites it all. It is satisfying, nourishing, and deeply tied to tradition.
What Is Punjena Paprika?
Punjena Paprika translates directly to stuffed pepper. In Serbia, the dish usually features large bell peppers, most often yellow, which are firm enough to hold their shape yet tender once simmered. They become vessels for the seasoned filling.
The filling is made from minced meat, usually pork or beef, combined with rice, onion, garlic, and spices. Once stuffed, the peppers are arranged upright in a pot, covered with a tomato sauce, and left to simmer slowly.
This gentle cooking method allows the ingredients to mingle and creates a dish that is rich without being heavy. Served with bread or mashed potatoes, Punjena Paprika is food made to be enjoyed slowly and without fuss.
Ingredients and Taste
The peppers provide both structure and sweetness, softening into the sauce while keeping their shape. Their flavour becomes mild and comforting, a perfect balance to the robust filling inside.
The meat and rice mixture is simple yet effective. Minced pork or beef brings savoury depth, while rice gives lightness and helps the filling hold together. Onion, garlic, and paprika round out the taste with warmth and fragrance.
The tomato sauce ties everything together. Slightly tangy with a hint of sweetness, it coats the peppers and seeps into the filling. The result is tender, balanced, and deeply satisfying, with every bite carrying flavour from both sauce and stuffing.
A Taste of History
Stuffed vegetables are a common thread across the Balkans, but Punjena Paprika holds a special place in Serbian cooking. It reflects a tradition of making use of seasonal produce and stretching simple ingredients into generous meals.
Peppers became a staple in the region after their introduction from the Americas. In Serbia, they were quickly embraced, prized for their versatility and ability to absorb flavours from meat, herbs, and sauces.
Over generations, the dish became a fixture at family tables, often prepared in autumn when peppers were abundant and fresh. It was a way to celebrate the harvest while also preparing food that could feed a crowd.
Today, Punjena Paprika continues to be served in homes and restaurants across Serbia. It remains a symbol of shared meals and culinary heritage, offering comfort with every spoonful of sauce and bite of tender pepper.
How to Make Punjena Paprika (Stuffed Bell Peppers)
Punjena Paprika is a beloved Serbian comfort dish where sweet bell peppers are generously filled with a savoury mix of meat, rice, and spices, then simmered in a rich tomato sauce. Expect tender peppers, hearty filling, and deep flavours that speak of home style Balkan cooking. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the peppers and filling
- 8 medium yellow or green bell peppers (tops removed, seeds cleaned)
- 400g minced pork
- 200g minced beef
- 100g uncooked short grain rice
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet, not smoked)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil or lard
- 1 tbsp paprika (sweet)
- 700ml tomato passata
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sugar (to balance acidity)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 500ml water or light stock
For serving
- Sour cream
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the peppers
To begin, wash the peppers, cut off the tops, and carefully remove the seeds and membranes. Keep the tops aside as they can be used as lids. Transition to preparing the filling.
Step 2: Make the filling
In a large bowl, combine minced pork, minced beef, rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, pepper, and salt. Mix by hand until the ingredients are well incorporated but not overworked. Move on to stuffing the peppers.
Step 3: Stuff the peppers
Fill each pepper loosely with the meat and rice mixture, leaving a little space at the top as rice will expand while cooking. Place the tops back on if desired. Continue to prepare the sauce.
Step 4: Start the sauce base
In a large pot, heat sunflower oil or lard. Stir in flour and cook until lightly golden, forming a roux. Sprinkle in paprika and stir quickly before it burns. Proceed to add tomato passata.
Step 5: Simmer the sauce
Add tomato passata, water or stock, bay leaves, sugar, and salt. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. The sauce should be slightly thin at this stage, as it will thicken during cooking. Next, add the peppers.
Step 6: Add stuffed peppers to the sauce
Carefully place stuffed peppers upright into the pot. Ensure the sauce almost covers the peppers; add more water if needed. Transition to cooking gently.
Step 7: Cook slowly
Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 60–75 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is fully cooked. Stir the sauce occasionally to prevent sticking. Move on to final adjustments.
Step 8: Adjust seasoning
Taste the sauce and adjust with additional salt or sugar if required. If the sauce is too thin, remove the peppers briefly and reduce the sauce before returning them. Transition to final preparation.
Final Step: Serve hot
Serve the peppers with generous spoonfuls of the tomato sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream. Presentation tip: Arrange in a wide serving dish so the peppers sit snugly in the sauce.
Variations and substitutions
- Use only pork or only beef if preferred.
- Replace sunflower oil with olive oil if lard is not available.
- Substitute tomato passata with canned crushed tomatoes for a rustic sauce.
- If bell peppers are not in season, hollowed out courgettes or tomatoes can be used.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Punjena Paprika
- Leave space when stuffing peppers so rice can expand without bursting the skin.
- Simmer gently rather than boiling to keep peppers intact.
- A mix of pork and beef creates balanced flavour and juiciness.
- Toast paprika briefly in oil for a deeper, smoky fragrance.
- Always taste the sauce at the end, adjusting sweetness to offset acidity.
Serbian Punjena Paprika (Stuffed Bell Peppers)
Ingredients
For the peppers and filling
- 8 medium yellow or green bell peppers tops removed, seeds cleaned
- 400 g minced pork
- 200 g minced beef
- 100 g uncooked short grain rice
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp paprika sweet, not smoked
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil or lard
- 1 tbsp paprika sweet
- 700 ml tomato passata
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sugar to balance acidity
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 500 ml water or light stock
For serving
- Sour cream
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- To begin, wash the peppers, cut off the tops, and carefully remove the seeds and membranes. Keep the tops aside as they can be used as lids. Transition to preparing the filling.
- In a large bowl, combine minced pork, minced beef, rice, onion, garlic, egg, paprika, pepper, and salt. Mix by hand until the ingredients are well incorporated but not overworked. Move on to stuffing the peppers.
- Fill each pepper loosely with the meat and rice mixture, leaving a little space at the top as rice will expand while cooking. Place the tops back on if desired. Continue to prepare the sauce.
- In a large pot, heat sunflower oil or lard. Stir in flour and cook until lightly golden, forming a roux. Sprinkle in paprika and stir quickly before it burns. Proceed to add tomato passata.
- Add tomato passata, water or stock, bay leaves, sugar, and salt. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. The sauce should be slightly thin at this stage, as it will thicken during cooking. Next, add the peppers.
- Carefully place stuffed peppers upright into the pot. Ensure the sauce almost covers the peppers; add more water if needed. Transition to cooking gently.
- Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 60–75 minutes until the peppers are tender and the filling is fully cooked. Stir the sauce occasionally to prevent sticking. Move on to final adjustments.
- Taste the sauce and adjust with additional salt or sugar if required. If the sauce is too thin, remove the peppers briefly and reduce the sauce before returning them. Transition to final preparation.
- Serve the peppers with generous spoonfuls of the tomato sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and a dollop of sour cream. Presentation tip: Arrange in a wide serving dish so the peppers sit snugly in the sauce.
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